AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September, 
358 
used instead. The plants may be set in rows two 
feet apart, and 18 inches distant in the rows. Some 
put them only a foot apart in the rows, but in 
Tieh soil this does not give space enough. In set¬ 
ting, the ball of earth is turned out of the pot, and 
put in its place in the bed, without disturbing 
Its roots. At the time of planting, pinch off any 
Tunners that may be forming upon the plants. 
During the growing season, keep the bed clean by 
use of the hoe, and remove all runners as they ap¬ 
pear. The plants thus treated will form fine large 
stools by the time cool weather checks their growth. 
Picking Fruit—Fruit Ladders. 
The first step towards getting the best prices for 
fruit must be made in the picking. The old method 
of shaking or thrashing the tree will answer when 
the fruit is shovelled into a wagon body and car¬ 
ried for several miles over a rough road. This is 
not the method of marketing apples to get the best 
prices. Early apples are often more profitable than 
the later varieties ; as a general thing they are more 
tender, and can only be profitably sold in markets 
near at hand. After they have reached maturity— 
have made their full growth—they soon become 
mellow and quickly decay. Hence the orchardist 
should be familiar with the time of ripening of 
each variety, and be ready to pick it in its proper 
condition. The best packages for early apples are 
either half barrels or bushel crates. We gave in 
August last (page 324) the method of making a 
crate of the proper size to hold a bushel. Whether 
the fruit is packed in half barrels or in crates, both 
should be new, and so filled that some pressure will 
be required to bring the head of the half barrel, or 
the cover of the crate, into place, iu order to pre¬ 
vent any shaking in transportation. But the first 
step in marketing the fruit, is to pick it properly. 
Ordinary ladders that rest against the trunk of the 
tree, help; but the best specimens grow on the 
outside of the tree, upon the extremities of the 
branches, where they are exposed to the sun. The 
fruit growing iu these places cannot be readily 
reached by the ordinary forms of ladders. A step- 
ladder is often used, but this is not so convenient 
as the kind used by painters. This is made of 
two parts, as shown in the engraving. When 
opened, it stands firmly, and may be used as a step- 
ladder. Ordinarily, it will be found best to have 
two ladders of this kind, and by placing a board 
from one to the other, a platform may be formed, 
higher or lower, from which the exterior portions 
of moderate sized trees can be reached, and greatly 
reduce the labor of fruit-gathering. The picker 
should have such a receptacle for the fruit that will 
allow him to deposit it without bruising, and leave 
both hands free. A basket hung to a strap which 
passes over the shoulders, is convenient. A grain 
bag may be slung over the shoulders, with the 
mouth kept open by a stick, in such a manner as to 
be convenient for the picker. In packing the fruit, 
make sure that it is of even quality throughout 
the crate, etc., and mark the name of both the 
consignee and shipper plainly upon the package. 
Successful Culture of White Pine. 
Were it generally known that it did not require 
several lifetimes in order to raise a profitable forest, 
one great obstacle to tree culture would be re¬ 
moved. Wc have cited the rapid growth of birches 
and elms on our place as ex¬ 
amples of trees of a size to be 
useful, growing in 12 years from 
the seed. Our correspondent 
“ A. L. J.,” Cheshire Co., N. H., 
gives us his experience in raising 
a White Pine grove. About 30 
years ago, having a lot of about 
three acres which could be de¬ 
voted to the purpose, he cleared 
the land. On a “ bearing year ” 
of the pine trees, he collected 
about 12 bushels of the cones in 
the early part of September. 
These he scattered over the land 
without giving it any prepara¬ 
tion, with the result of thor¬ 
oughly seeding it. We do not 
commend this rude culture, 
but it is interesting that suc¬ 
cess followed it. Mr. J. says: 
“ The next year the little 
pines appeared by the million. 
dairy products by using ice many times repays its 
cost, and in the preserving of meats and other ar¬ 
ticles of food its value is beyond computation. An 
ice-house is not an expensive building, and is 
within the reach of nearly every farmer. The ac¬ 
companying engravings show the form of a cheap 
ice-house, that can be built at only a small outlay 
for materials, and with but little labor. The di¬ 
mensions will depend upon the amount of ice de¬ 
sired and the length of the boards to be used. Nine 
posts of suitable hight are set, two at each corner, 
as shown in fig. 1; the ninth post is put on the 
front and at one side of the doorway. The front 
posts are a foot or more longer than the rear ones, 
Fig. 2.— THE ICE-HOUSE COMPLETE. 
rhey grew the first season about two inches 
ligh ; the following season they made a growth 
if from one half to three-fourths of an inch; 
die next year they grew about three inches, and 
die year following about one foot. In the next 
L3 years they grew over 30 feet. These trees now 
measure in hight, by estimate, about 45 feet, the 
larger ones being about 18 inches through at the 
base. Cattle were not allowed to run in the lot for 
12 years after sowing. At that time I thinned them 
out so as to give the best a chance to grow, trimmed 
up those left standing to the hight of three or four 
feet, taking off all the dead limbs. 
“I have trimmed the trees in the lot and thinned 
them out from time to time, in order to give the 
best specimens a chance to grow. The trees are 
now free from branches to the hight of about 23 
feet. Trimming has usually been done between 
the first of November and first of February. But 
few live limbs have been removed, except to give a 
tree a better appearance, I have sometimes taken 
one off. The wounds have always healed over per¬ 
fectly. The new wood growing close over the knot 
and making clear timber of all that grew outside 
of where the branch was cut off.” 
A Cheap Ice-House. 
The amount of ice used increases every year, and 
this is largely owing to the ease and cheapness 
with which it can be kept. Ice becomes a neecs 
Fig. 1.— PLAN OF ICE-HOUSE. 
sity in many cases so soon as its value is known by 
experience. The gain in the quality and price of 
to provide for a slanting roof; the tops are held in 
place by light scantling. The plank or boards are 
nailed to the posts with cleats to secure them to 
each other at the ends. A layer of six inches of 
saw-dust or cut hay is spread upon the ground be¬ 
fore the first tier of ice is put into the house. The 
ice should not come within a foot of the wall, and 
fill the space between a with the saw-dust or other 
packing material. The plank wall and the ice tiers 
may be carried up together until the house is filled. 
A door, 5, is made by using two lengths of plank 
on the front side, the short ones being so placed 
that they can be removed as the ice is taken out. 
A thick layer of packing material should be put 
upon the ice after the house is filled. A roof of 
slabs or any other material that will keep out the 
rain is sufficient. The ice-house complete is shown 
in figure 2. It is hoped that farmers and others 
who have need of ice throughout the hot summer 
months will construct an ice-house before winter 
comes and flli it during the ice harvest. Ice is one 
of the crops that must be gathered in its season. 
“Army Worms Eggs.”— “ J. W. G.”—Mat- 
tituck, L. I., sends us specimens of what he takes 
to be the eggs of the Army-worm. He wishes to 
know about these eggs, and what kind of an insect 
will be hatched from them. The specimens sent, 
though white and egg-shaped, are not eggs at all, 
but are the cocoons of some insect, probably an 
Ichneumon-fly, which is a parasite of the Army- 
worm. It is fortunate for cultivators that the de¬ 
structive insects have their insect enemies, to keep 
them in check. A common example is seen in the 
large green caterpillar known as the Potato-worm, 
or Tomato-worm (Sphinx quinquemaculata), the body 
of which is often completely covered with the 
small, white cocoons of the parasite. The parent 
fly deposits great numbers of eggs in the soft body 
of the caterpillar ; the larvae or maggots soon hatch 
out and live within and upon the substance of the 
caterpillar, but avoiding any vital parts. The cater¬ 
pillar feeds and barely keeps alive, as it has to sup¬ 
port a large number of its unwelcome guests. 
When these insects within an insect have completed 
their growth, they come to the surfaee of the cater¬ 
pillar and there spin their pure-white cocoons, 
from which in due time the perfect insect comes 
forth. The caterpillar keeps barely alive all the 
while, but is so much enfeebled that it cannot com- 
